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- "The Congress of Malastare concurs with the honorable delegate from the Trade Federation. A commission must be appointed."
- ―Aks Moe, during the Naboo Crisis
Aks Moe was a Gran politician who served in the Galactic Senate during the waning years of the Republic Era. Initially one of several dignitaries elected to the Malastare delegation, Moe represented the interests of the Congress of Malastare and later came to represent Malastare as a whole by the time of his death. A wealthy and corrupt politician, Moe benefitted greatly from the subjugation of the indigenous Dugs of Malastare, whom the Gran rulers treated as second-class citizens with nominal Republic backing. Moe was also a noted power broker and cultivated a network of lower-level politicians, lobbyists, and courts on the Republic capital, Coruscant. As he stood to profit from bureaucratic inaction on the capital, Moe used this influence to filibuster efforts to reform law enforcement and address the rampant crime in the Coruscant Underworld.
During Moe's tenure as a senator, he played a crucial part in the build-up to the Vote of No Confidence in Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum by seconding the Trade Federation's motion to create a commission to investigate the Invasion of Naboo rather than provide direct aid. He later supported the Mid Rim Cooperation Motion and became a vocal proponent of the Military Creation Act during the Separatist Crisis. Under Moe's control, the Malastare delegation took a firm stance supporting militarization against the Confederacy of Independent Systems, and Moe joined Chancellor Sheev Palpatine's Loyalist Committee as part of his efforts to voice opposition to diplomacy with the Separatists. Moe was assassinated during this time, and his seat passed to his protégé Ask Aak, who maintained Moe's political positions.
Biography[]
The power broker[]
- "A thousand years of peace breeds a complacency that draws crime like a magnet."
- ―Tan Divo, in response to questioning by Aks Moe
Hailing from the Mid Rim Territories planet Malastare,[1] Aks Moe eventually became one of several elected officials representing the planet as part of its delegation in the Republic Senate on the Galactic Republic capital planet, Coruscant.[3] By 32 BBY,[6] Moe, who represented the interests of the Congress of Malastare in particular, served alongside Senator Ainlee Teem[3] and Senator Baskol Yeesrim, who represented the Gran Protectorate.[7] As part of the ruling Gran of Malastare, Moe was very wealthy, and much of his political capital was spent trying to protect the interests of the wealthy Gran, who repressed the indigenous Dug populations into near-slavery.[1] Moe's self-serving corruption was also felt on Coruscant, where he cultivated an informal network of officials in the Federal District willing to do his bidding in exchange for bribes and other forms of payment, and his influence spread alongside the flow of his credits across the Republic.[5]
As a representative of Malastare (pictured), Senator Moe served the Gran elite, who oppressed the planet's indigenous Dugs.
Because Moe profited from the lethargy of the Republic's bureaucratic machine, as well as the upper-class narcotics trade on Coruscant, he was greatly opposed to reform efforts that would streamline the judicial system and was thus a vocal detractor of Coruscant Security Force Lieutenant Tanivos Divo. Since his start as a CSF patrolman, Divo had championed sprawling reforms to how Coruscant's police agencies operated, with a particular interest in bringing the rampant crime in the Coruscant Underworld to a halt. Divo's proposals, which called for creating a formal network of cross-jurisdictional information sharing throughout the planet, would stem the flow of illicit goods from the depths of Coruscant and cut the chain of demand stretching down from the upper levels. Because Divo's reforms threatened Senator Moe's graft, Moe used his connections, as well as his[5] vast wealth,[1] to convince numerous judges, lobbyists, and other politicians to thwart Lieutenant Divo's proposals.[5]
Senator Moe additionally used his platform as a senator to petition against Divo by falsely blaming Divo's procedures for allowing narcotics from the underworld to reach the halls of the Senate. Moe's public accusations warranted a deposition hearing, where the senator sought testimony from Divo on his work. In response to Moe's performative outrage towards Divo, the inspector spoke plainly, pointedly stating that it was the Republic's complacency that bred the crime that ran throughout Coruscant. Though Divo maintained his composure against Moe, his reform efforts were weakened significantly due to Moe's influence. Recognizing that he would not be able to achieve justice upstream with people like Moe in his way, Divo eventually forged a career focusing on lesser cases in the hopes they could build into larger ones against the crime lords that operated unfettered on Coruscant and the politicians who did business with them.[5]
Invasion of Naboo[]
- Amidala: "Honorable representatives of the Republic, I come to you under the gravest of circumstances. The Naboo system has been invaded by the armies of the Trade—"
- Dod: "I object! There is no proof! This is incredible. We recommend that a commission be sent to Naboo to ascertain the truth."
- Moe: "The Congress of Malastare concurs with the honorable delegate from the Trade Federation. A commission must be appointed."
- ―Queen Amidala, Lott Dod, and Aks Moe[3]
In 32 BBY,[6] the Senate passed Prop 31-814D, a tax reform bill. Under the guidelines of Prop 31-814D, the Republic positioned itself to institute regulations on the Free Trade Zones long monopolized by the Trade Federation.[8] Though championed by the embattled Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum, the bill proved controversial and mismanaged.[1] Through its representative in the Senate, Lott Dod, the Trade Federation introduced separate bills meant to overturn the tax reforms, though these motions failed to pass.[9] In protest of the bill, Viceroy of the Trade Federation Nute Gunray blockaded the Mid Rim planet Naboo. When attempts at negotiation set up by Valorum fell apart, Gunray launched a ground invasion of Naboo, forcing Queen Padmé Amidala to flee to Coruscant to plead for aid directly from the Senate. The Senate convened an emergency session to hear[3] Chommell sector[4] Senator Sheev Palpatine and Amidala testify about the occupation of their homeworld.[3]
Aks Moe seconds Lott Dod's demand that a commission investigate claims that the Trade Federation invaded Naboo, halting any immediate aid to the planet.
Before Palpatine could introduce Queen Amidala, he was interrupted by Dod, who objected to his assertion that the Trade Federation was oppressing the people of Naboo. After introducing Amidala, the queen could only speak briefly about the conditions on Naboo before Dod again interjected, demanding that Valorum first send a fact-finding commission to investigate the Naboo delegation's claims. Senator Moe immediately brought his repulsorpod next to Dod's and voiced his support for an investigative committee. As advised by his Vice Chair, Mas Amedda, Valorum gave in to Dod and Moe's terms. Outraged, Amidala stated that she was unwilling to let her people suffer as the invasion of their world was discussed in a committee, then called for a Vote of No Confidence in Chancellor Valorum's leadership. Though shocked by the sudden Vote of No Confidence,[3] the Senate moved with surprising immediacy, and Chancellor Valorum was voted out of office within hours.[1]
With the passage of the Vote of No Confidence, the Office of the Supreme Chancellor was vacated, triggering a snap election for Valorum's successor. Quickly put forward for nomination by their respective allies were Senator Bail Antilles of Alderaan and Moe's colleague in the Malastare delegation, Ainlee Teem. Though Antilles and a third nominee, Senator Palpatine, enjoyed strong support, Teem's nomination was overshadowed by his history of corruption, and his candidacy was treated with general contempt. Ultimately, the momentum behind Palpatine's candidacy won out over Antilles', and he was elected to replace Valorum.[10] Palpatine assumed the executive after the Battle of Naboo, in which Queen Amidala successfully led her people in liberating themselves from the Trade Federation's occupation.[3] As a result of Teem's election loss, Malastare began losing political power on Coruscant,[4] and Moe later came to represent the planet as a whole.[1]
Mid Rim Cooperation[]
- "There is wisdom in this motion. The Congress of Malastare seconds."
- ―Aks Moe seconds the Mid Rim Cooperation Motion
In 28 BBY,[6] the Mid Rim planet Bromlarch faced ecological devastation when its aqueduct system collapsed during a series of groundquakes, threatening its citizens with drought and famine. After news of the aqueduct's failure reached Coruscant, an emergency session of the Senate was called, where Bromlarch senator Caelor Gaans informed his colleagues of the situation. After Mon Mothma of Chandrila questioned Gaans on the state of Bromlarch's other infrastructure, Moe asked if the planet's citizens could be relocated, but Gaans replied that it would be impractical. Upon hearing Moe's question, Chancellor Palpatine spoke up and suggested that relocation be a last resort, then acknowledged the newly-elected senator of Scipio, Rush Clovis, who proposed that an auditing team go to Bromlarch to survey the damage. Palpatine accepted his idea and granted permission to Clovis, Senator Mina Bonteri of Onderon, and Amidala, now the senator of the Chommell sector, to organize a mission to Bromlarch.[4]
To gain Aks Moe's support for aid to Bromlarch, Rush Clovis (pictured) suggested the Mid Rim Cooperation Motion cater to Malastare's economic demands.
Upon their return to Coruscant, Bonteri, Clovis, and Amidala introduced a relief plan provided by the Bromlarch Council. Lott Dod opposed the bill almost immediately, and his opposition was enough to tank support for it. Deciding to repackage the bill, Amidala and Clovis reworked relief aid to Bromlarch into the Mid Rim Cooperation Motion, which would direct supplies, labor, and funding to Bromlarch through a new trade system incorporating several Mid Rim planets. Recognizing the influence Moe and the Malastare delegation had over nearly a dozen systems, Amidala and Clovis decided to curry Moe's favor by involving Malastare in their plan. Since Malastare had experienced notable backsliding since Ainlee Teem lost the Chancellery to Palpatine, Clovis suggested that they cater the Mid Rim Cooperation Motion to the Malastarian's desire for economic power by giving Malastare the means to sell its fuel reserves to Sivad,[4] even though control of the fuel was in the hands of the Dug Council.[11]
Some days later, Amidala presented the motion before the Senate, stating that the bill would address recent piracy concerns across the Mid Rim and provide all systems involved with new commercial avenues. Once Amidala finished presenting the bill, both Dod and Moe requested permission to speak from the Chancellor. Though Dod frantically tried getting recognition to speak, Palpatine acknowledged Moe instead. Moe complimented the bill's wisdom and, moments later, declared that the Congress of Malastare seconded the motion. Joining Moe shortly thereafter was Senator Yarua of Kashyyyk, who, not being one for procedure, brought his repulsorpod into the rotunda to add his support. With Moe and Yarua backing the motion, Palpatine brought it to a vote without ever acknowledging Dod. The results were tallied only a few seconds after the Chancellor commenced voting, and he immediately announced that the motion passed.[4]
Separatist Crisis and death[]
During the Separatist Crisis, Aks Moe became a leading proponent of the creation of the Republic Military.
After years of growing discontent among Republic member worlds over its corruption and favoritism toward the galactic Core, the government faced a historical crisis when Count Dooku of Serenno, a former Jedi Master, delivered the Raxus Address around 24 BBY, denouncing the Republic in communications galaxy-wide. In his speech, Dooku announced the founding of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, a new galactic government that would welcome dissatisfied Republic systems. In response to the secession of thousands of member worlds, the Republic Senate passed the Emergency Powers Act, allowing Chancellor Palpatine to remain in office for the duration of the crisis.[6] In addition to ensuring that Malastare was unwaveringly committed to the Republic, Senator Moe was among[1] a select group chosen by Chancellor Palpatine to form the Loyalist Committee,[6] an advisory body of ten senators designed to help him find a solution to the Separatist Crisis.[12]
That same year, the Senate began debate over the proposed Military Creation Act,[6] which would allow Palpatine to commission a standing army if the Separatists went to war against the Republic.[13] Moe became a staunch advocate for the creation of a Republic army, not only as security against the Confederacy but also as potential protection of the Gran in the event of a Dug uprising on Malastare. Under Moe's control, the Malastare delegation took a firm stance against the Separatists, but he would not live to see an end to the crisis. Moe was assassinated in a fatal accident while away from Coruscant, and leadership of the Malastare's Senate delegation passed to his protégé and subordinate, Ask Aak, in the aftermath of his death. Aak's first official act as Malastare's interim representative was to address the Senate about Moe's death. In his address, Aak eloquently mourned the late Moe while pledging to support the political causes his predecessor had championed.[1]
Legacy[]
- «The debate is over! Now we need that clone army.»
- ―Ask Aak, Aks Moe's successor, speaks in favor of the Military Creation Act
Moe's successor, Ask Aak, maintained the late senator's policy positions.
Shortly after assuming Moe's position, Aak was elected to a full term as the Senator of Malastare. Despite his earlier mourning, Aak, seeing the immediate support he received after his first speech before the Senate, sought to exploit any political benefit he could from his mentor's death. In addition to taking Moe's place on the Loyalist Committee, Aak opposed any change in the status quo under Moe's leadership, recognizing that he stood to gain from the system as much as Moe did. Many in the Senate understood that Aak's political beliefs were merely a continuation of Moe's, and some in the chamber may not have been aware that Moe no longer stood before them since Aak had even adopted his predecessor's public speaking style. Likewise, Aak maintained Moe's support of the disenfranchisement of the Dugs on Malastare, regardless of the controversy it brought the Republic.[1]
Like Moe, Aak became a leading proponent of the Military Creation Act, and his fervor for the formation of a large-scale army led him to become a leading critic of the Jedi Order, considered by many antimilitarists to be protectors of Republic security since time immemorial. While emphasizing the growing threat of the Separatists, Aak and his allies argued that the Jedi were out of place. Ultimately, Aak and the late Moe's desire for a standing Republic Military triumphed.[1] Shortly before the outbreak of the Clone Wars, news of Confederate mobilization reached Coruscant, and the Senate granted Palpatine the executive power to create an army without needing to pass the Military Creation Act.[13] Senator Aak retained his seat throughout the Clone Wars and continued to use Moe's name to his benefit; as the overseer of the critical Y-wing project, he refused Jedi General Anakin Skywalker's request to use the bombers, citing the Jedi's failure to stop Moe's assassination as his reasoning.[14]
By 34 ABY, decades after[15] Aks Moe's death during the Separatist Crisis,[1] the grandson of Tan Divo and the police commissioner on Hosnian Prime, Exantor Divo, received his grandfather's lost case files. Divo decided to pair his grandfather's case files with those of his mother and himself, and the collection was published as Scum and Villainy: Case Files on the Galaxy's Most Notorious. In the introduction to the selection of Tan Divo's papers, Exantor wrote about his grandfather's adversarial relationship with Moe, noting that Moe's outrage towards Tan was "puffed-up" and that Moe had been largely responsible for the bureaucratic red tape that forced Tan to turn away from his reform efforts. In the passage, Exantor also accused Moe of cursory involvement in the narcotics trade on Coruscant and that he used his[5] considerable wealth[1] and influence to keep himself and others like him untouchable by the law.[5]
Personality and traits[]
- "Can the citizens of Bromlarch be relocated?"
"There are millions of us. It would be impractical. And many have nowhere to go." - ―Aks Moe and Caelor Gaans, during the Bromlarch crisis
Corrupt and wealthy, Aks Moe represented Malastare during the final years of the Republic Era.
As a Gran, Aks Moe had pale, orange-colored skin and three black eyes that stuck out from his face on stalks.[3] He was additionally slimmer than his successor, Ask Aak. While representing Malastare in the Galactic Senate, Moe had a distinct speaking style,[1] noted for its bombastic and colorful rhetoric[5] and amplified by his reedy voice.[4] Famously wealthy and corrupt, Moe's political positions often served either his interests or those of the elite ruling classes of Gran on Malastare, especially their desire to retain their wealth at whatever cost.[1] On Coruscant, Moe operated an influential network of bureaucratic officials on his payroll and used these connections to encumber the Republic's bureaucratic agencies. Because he profited from the Republic's inability to stem the flow of narcotics from the Coruscant Underworld to the upper levels, Moe was opposed to law enforcement reform and sought to blame the rampant narcotics trade on reformers.[5]
Like other wealthy Gran from Malastare, Moe benefitted greatly from the subjugation of the indigenous Dugs. During the Separatist Crisis, Moe positioned himself as a Republic loyalist and advisor to Supreme Chancellor Palpatine and became an earlier supporter of the Military Creation Act. His vocal support for the bill was, however, primarily in the interest of the Gran on Malastare. The Gran felt they needed access to a Republic army to protect their wealth from the Separatists, as well as to repress any future armed Dug uprisings.[1] Likewise, Moe's support for the Mid Rim Cooperation Motion was based on the economic boost promised for Malastare rather than concern for the people suffering on Bromlarch. In supporting the Mid Rim Cooperation Motion, he placed Malastare's interests over those of the Trade Federation,[4] whose corporate monopoly he backed during the Naboo Crisis.[16]
Behind the scenes[]
Aks Moe first appeared in the 1999 film Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace,[17] which was written and directed by Star Wars creator George Lucas and released on May 19 of that year.[18] Moe was one of several Gran characters created for the film by Nick Dudman's creature department, and his design was based on Ree-Yees, a Gran first featured in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi.[17]
Like another Gran that appears in The Phantom Menace, the podracer Mawhonic, Moe was realized on-screen through an intricately articulated mask developed by Dudman's department[17] and worn by performer Mark Coulier. While Coulier physically portrayed the character, Marc Silk provided Moe's voice for the film.[3]
Appearances[]
- Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace (First appearance)
- Queen's Shadow (and audiobook)
Sources[]
Star Wars Helmet Collection 1 (Databank A-Z: Ask Aak–Stass Allie)- Star Wars: The Visual Encyclopedia
- Star Wars: Geektionary: The Galaxy from A - Z
- Star Wars: Scum and Villainy: Case Files on the Galaxy's Most Notorious
- "Republic, Rebel, and Resistance Starfighters" — Star Wars Encyclopedia (Indirect mention only)
- "Coruscant" — Star Wars Encyclopedia
- "Chancellors, Senators and States Persons of the Republic" — Star Wars Encyclopedia
